Documents Submitted During Public Input_HearingNotice Of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)
Re: A proposed Chicago -Waterloo passenger train project
On Dec. 7, 2022, a NOFO was published in the Federal Register, Vol. 87, No. 234,
pages 75119-75134 for the Federal -State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Program.
The application process will close March 7, 2023.
This is a different program than the Corridor Identification process being considered by
DMATS of ECIA. This Corridor ID process was announced May 13, 2022, and was closed in
November. They are still taking applications for the ID program, but will not act on them. The
Corridor ID and NOFO-FRA programs will be merged in the future.
The NOFO is also distinguished from the Illinois DOT -funded study by Quandell
Consulting, which was completed in 2022, and was extinguished by the Illinois DOT as they
didn't approve any more funding to proceed with the project. (in any case this study only
included the Rockford -Dubuque segment).
The Federal Railroad Administration held a webinar Dec. 14, 2022, to explain the NOFO
process. The video of this webinar will be available in a few days for the public to review.
Contact FRA-NOFO-Support@dot.gov
Of the $36 billion allocated to passenger train upgrades in the Infrastructure bill, $24
billion goes to the Northeast Corridor, leaving $12 billion for the rest of the country. There are
dozens of projects around the country vying for these funds. Federal funding would support up
to 80 percent of any project.
There are provisions for former passenger train routes to be renewed, of which the
Chicago -Dubuque Blackhawk, 1971-1981, may be a candidate. Note: the Blackhawk was
canceled partly because Iowa would not participate in operational funding.
There is a provision to factor in underserved areas, including rural areas, to which
Dubuque, northeast Iowa, and northwest Illinois would be a candidate.
Eligible applicants include a political subdivision of a state, of which a city can be
considered. Multiple applicants can pool their resources to apply, i.e., communities along the
route. Amtrak is one of the partner possibilities.
There are multiple bureaucratic hoops to jump through before the application can be
filed; many man hours and not a few dollars. Private funding: DRA, casinos, philanthropic
sources, etc. may be needed, as well as a knowledgable person dedicated to oversee the
application.
In the 1950's the Illinois Central streamliner, Land O' Corn, daily sped from Chicago to
Dubuque in 3.5 hours. Something to shoot for.
Humbly submitted,
David Overby
608-732-2898
davidsoverbv(o)omail.com
Encl: First page of Federal Register re: FRA NOFO
Federal Register/Vol. 87, No. 234/Wednesdky, December 7, 202
a sheets for their certified airplanes.
I she d be noted that additional
r .spon is from outside the riled
S ates (i.e.,-trRlanB Manufact treys for
w ich the Certificati/Statem.
Ath sty is
other ICAO Memban the
U ited States) are exo submit
C 2DB Datasheets to,DB for
th 'r certified airplae non -US
ap icants were assube outside
the cope of the burdlysis
cont fined in Supportement A
and ere therefore nded as
respo dents.
Fre encv: If theyto submit
informtion to the C9 1)13, the
manufa turers will submit data after the
certifica 'on of an airplane. It is
expected hat manfacturers would
submit on . CO2D Datasheet for each
airplane m del. A, described in
Supporting late rant A and based on
historical fir uepcy of airplane
certification, ,a'h U.S. manufacturer
could be. expe ad to certificate up to
two new mod • every three years.
Thus, in mat atical terms, the FAA
would expec to -eceive an average of
two thirds o one atasheet per year and
per respond nt.
Estimate Avera Burden per
Response: is expec ad that filling and
submittin a CO,DB rasheet could
take appr 'mately 2.5 ours.
Estr'ma ed Total Ann 1 Burden:
Based o the above, FAA expects that
the ann submission of 02DB
Datashe 4 by U.S. airplane
manufturers could take ap roximately
5 hour for an average of 2 su missions
per year (8368 in filing and so mission
costs); This is estimated for all U.S.
airpl ne manufacturers,
Iss led in Washington, DC, on Dece_ ber 1,
202 .
Ke Welsh,
�projects not located on the No thea_st
Corri�dopriun er t e e era] -State
aP tfnershi for Inte`rcr�tt � Passenger Rail
rogmi (FSP Program) or Fiscal Year
Z02Z. T e a toil, notice solicits
applications for FSP funds made
available by the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2022, and the
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
The opportunity described in this notica
is made available under Assistance
Listings Number 20.326, "Federal -State
Partnership for Intercity Passenger
11
DATES: Applications for funding under
this solicitation are due no later than 5
p.nr. ET. March 7, 2023 pp n
Ta-Fe mco r received after 5
p.m. ET. on March 7, 2023 will not be
considered for funding. See Section D of
this notice for additional information on
the apt cai�en process
�ADDRESSES: Applications must be)
ibmitted via twtn4.Crmnts.gor. my
app rip cants �Vn-o,±anrpte-was-all
submission requirements described in
this notice and submit applications
through wn•w. Gran ts.gov will be. eligible
for award. For any supporting
application materials that an applicant
is unable to submit via www.Gronts.gov
(such as oversized engineering
drawings), an applicant may submit an
original and two (2) copies to Deborah
Kobrin, Office of Rail Program
Development, Federal Railroad
Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave
SE, Washington. DC 20590; or Mr.
Sergio Coronado, Office of Rail Program
Development, Federal Railroad
Administration, 55 Broadway,
Cambridge, MA 02142. However, due to
delays caused by enhanced screening of
mail delivered via the U.S. Postal
Service, applicants are advised to use
other means of conveyance (such as
75119
Development, Federal Railroad
Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave
SE. Room W33-311, Washington, DC
20590; amail: deborah.kobvin®dot.gov;
telephone: 202-493-0765.
SUPPLEMENTARY�INFOR_M�ATn a to
opp scants: 7RA r-� econnntends that
applicants read this notice in its entirety
prior to re aril a lftall materials.
initi e ons o key ternns use
throughout the NOFO are provided in
Section A(2) below. These key terms are
capitalized throughout the NOFO. There
are several administrative and specific
eligibility requirements described
herein with which applicants must
comply. Additionally, applicants should
note that the required Project Narrative
component of the application package
may not exceed 25 pages in length.
Table of Contents
A. Program Description
B. Federal Award Information
C. Eligibility Information
D. Application and Submission Information
E. Application Revi ew Information
F. Federal Award Administration
Information
C. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts
H. Other Information
A. Program Description
1. Overview
Our nation's rail network is a critical
component of the U.S. transportation
system and economy. The FSP Program
provides a Federal funding opportunity
to improve American passenger rail
assets to expand or establish new
intercity passenger rail service,
including privately operated intercity
passenger rail service if an eligible
applicant is involved, reduce the state of
good repair backlog, improve
Derformance. and enhance rail safety.
cative Director, Office of Environment and courier service) to assure timely receipt applications for projects not located on
rgy, Federal Aviation Administration, of materials before the application
the Northeast Corridor (NEC) through
Doc. 2o22-26547 Filed 12-6-22; s:45 oral deadline. the conroetitive FSP Program. /
BILLING CODE 4910-01 -0
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
6flce of Funding Opportunity fcr the
Federal -State Partnership for Intercity
Passenger Rail Program
AGENCY: Fa era ar road
Administration (FRA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
/ " ACT10N: Notice of Fun ing Opportunity -
(NOFO or notice).
SUMMARY: This notice (FSP-National)
details the application requirements and
procedures to obtain grant funding for
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
further information concerning this
Notice, please contact the FRA NOI
distance rs�d, you may contact
Mr. Douglas Cascon, Office of Policy
and Planning, Federal Railroad
Administration, 1200 New Jersey
Avenue SE, Room W38-212,
Washington, DC 20590; email:
douglas.gascomCadot.gov; or telephone:
202-493-2039: or Mr. Sergio Coronado,
Office of Rail Program Development,
Federal Railroad Administration, 55
Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02142:
email: Sergio. Coi onado@dot.gov;
telephone: 617-571-1213; or Ms.
Deborah Kobrin, Office of Rail Program
funding available, application
submission requirements, and the
selection and evaluation criteria for
projects not located on the Northeast
Corridor. The Infrastructure Investment
and Jobs Act (Pub. L. 117-58, November
14, 2021) (IIJA) provided distinct
selection and evaluation criteria for
projects located on the NEC and for
projects not located on the NEC. FRA
will publish a separate Notice for
projects located on the NEC. Those
projects are not eligible for funding
under this announcement.
The FSP Program is authorized in
Sections 22106 and 22307 of the IIJA,
codified at 49 U.S.C. 24911, and this
NOFO is funded by IIJA supplemental
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Train phone/email contacts
Amanda Martin
amanda.martin(a_Nowadot. us
515-239-1653
515-357-9225
Iowa DOT train contact
Brian Ferencak
brian.ferencak&bnsf.com
BNSF contact
Chandra Ravada
cravada@ecia.org
Chris Krobel
cdk4460(a gmail:com
319-669-9617
Chair, Iowa Passenger Rail
Derrick James
JamesDe(a@amtrak.co
312-544-5118
Amtrak government affairs liaison, Chicago
Sen. Dick Durban
202-224-2152
www.durban.sen.gov
.. .
Peter Schwartz
Pax Ra i l D e v (a) d ot. a ov
202-493-6360
Chief, Project Engineering and Transportation Planning Division
Federal Railroad Administration
Rick Harnish
773-334-6758
rick@hsr.org
Illinois State Senator Steve Stadelman, Rockford, III.
815-987-7557 (Springfield, 217-782-8022)
sstadOyahoo.com
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